Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports title=
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports
Local News
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(photo: Mike Eliason)

Edhat readers share their photos, videos, and reports from the intense storm that hit Santa Barbara on March 5, 2019. See them all below!

By Mike Eliason of Santa Barbara County Fire Department

Lightning strikes in the skies above Santa Barbara, CA, March 5, 2019, as seen in these views from Stearns Wharf.

Photo by @colinmccrindle

By an edhat reader

We set up a tripod on the roof and took a few hundred pics and selected the best to give to you. I am 12 years old and love photography. 

  

By Sophie Cameron (daughter of HolaZola)

Lightning In Paradise, so photos shot from Goleta.

Photos by Yesenia Thomas

Captured from the top of Old San Marcos.

Video by Mark W.

By an edhat reader

Lightning in Isla Vista, Platform Holly hit. Monster cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning seen from Isla Vista.

Video by Sara G.

Video by Rey H.

Lightning strike near Mussel Shoals

Reported by edhat readers

  • Is anyone else hearing that roaring thunder? We're on the westside and its every few minutes, getting deeper and almost rattling our windows.

  • Intense lightning off the water.

  • Strong winds and hail off Painted Cave.

  • Lights flickering, some houses dark, off State and Sola Streets.

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130 Comments

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a-1571175942
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Mar 06, 2019 02:32 PM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Mike has out done himself again with his awesome photos! Too bad the News Suppress let him go because their Front Page photo pales in comparison .

yin yang
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Mar 06, 2019 11:17 PM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Thanks from me too for incredible photos & video from every poster! Glad M. Eliason is with Fire Dept. rather than NP; now *everyone* can see his photos.

John Wiley
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Mar 06, 2019 10:58 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

SB County Rain site says Gibraltar is spilling almost 3,000 cubic feet per second. That and the river must be exciting to see right now. Even with that and 2" or so of rainfall at the lake, Cachuma's still barely up (66.2% as I recall). Sure would be nice to have it full again!

biguglystick
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Mar 06, 2019 10:50 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

This has been a FANTASTIC storm! I have loved every second of all the rain we've gotten. I feel bad for those who have had to evacuate multiple times, that's for sure, especially families with kids, but I for one, have been loving this weather. I'll take a lot of rain anytime! Wow. Spectacular! And everything is so beautiful and green.

EastBeach
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Mar 06, 2019 09:45 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Interesting atmospheric conditions making it easy to hear airliner flights this morning. Heard the loud rumble of a jet after 9:00a. FlightAware tracked it as an Airbus 320 at 38,000 feet headed for San Jose.

Emmenanthe
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Mar 06, 2019 08:49 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Thanks to all of you who posted to keep people informed, and to those who submitted the extraordinary photos. I'm on the mesa and definitely knew that one burst was a right on top of us! Never experienced a thunderstorm anywhere near this intensity in SB; here since 1959.

a-1571175942
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Mar 06, 2019 07:50 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Mike Eliason's photos on CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/06/us/california-rain-storm-lightning-photos-wxc/index.html ============================================================================== "CNN's Paul Vercammen contributed to this report." Us oldsters remember him from KEYT!

SantaBarbaraObserver
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Mar 06, 2019 07:41 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

A PSA for folks that may not know. Weather.gov provides all the data, charts, graphics, maps and visuals you will ever need, without ads. In fact, the NWS provides the data to all the sites and services that charge money, blast you with ads and have all those annoying design features. Sure some of the sites are awesome, but if you want a clean and fast look into the weather, go to Weather.gov instead.

Shasta Guy
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Mar 06, 2019 06:40 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

It looks like everything held together last night. Thanks for all the night owl posters last night. The storm put another little surge into Lake Cachuma as seen here. https://rain.cosbpw.net/map/?sensor_class=94&show_thresholds=true&view=8bc6e88f-eeab-4281-9d92-3d723016e945

a-1571175942
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Mar 06, 2019 05:10 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Mud/Dirt/Rock--CHP WEBSITE: 101 N/Seacliff - 4:35 AML PER ADDILT VEH IN CD AND 2 VEHS ON RS NEAR MUD. --3:52 AM BLKG 2 AND 3 LNS.

yin yang
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Mar 06, 2019 02:38 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Now I'm just watching KEYT and the County rainfall totals. Cold Springs Debris Basin 6, 12, and 24 hours is .88, 1.07, and 1.10. I just want people to be safe, and no property damage.

yin yang
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Mar 06, 2019 02:16 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Reports I saw before today said midnight to 3 a.m. might be the most intense. We'll see. Water vapor & IR? Am I missing some sites? I only know of what's been mentioned on this thread today -- oh. I'm not good at exploring tabs and levels. Nice to see you.

John Wiley
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Mar 06, 2019 02:24 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Rate is just now easing up here 101@154 so my sense is the burn areas will ease up in the next half hour or so. Even though the soil's saturated, rates on the county sensors seem to be all below 1/3"/hour. If it doesn't intensify strongly we might be ok. So far this band has gotten a bit stronger coming onshore, but is apparently fairly high because it rains all the way to the San Rafael & Sierra Madre ranges. SBA is reporting light rain right now, ceiling at 5k'. Just while typing this the rain here has eased to light. I'm smiling, and feeling sleepy now. Thanks for joining the late watch YinYang. :)

John Wiley
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Mar 06, 2019 02:17 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Flow rate at lower Montecito Ck is now up at 63cfs, and the East end of Cachuma is getting 660cfs with the lake now at 65.7% (hope that brings it up a percent or two by morning).

yin yang
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Mar 06, 2019 01:57 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Looks like a LOT of yellow still coming in, per radar. here's a Windy pic: https://www.windy.com/-Rain-thunder-rain?rain,34.441,-118.350,8,m:eCzacPA

a-1571175942
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Mar 06, 2019 01:54 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

So far, SBCityCollege & downtown admin building have logged more rain than Montecito -- (Cold Spring Debris Basin is at .92 right now, since I started writing this message and watching KEYT). ************************************** I hope it stays that way! These are the 6 and 12 inch rainfall totals from SB County Public Works sensors. They change quick.

EastBeach
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Mar 06, 2019 12:28 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

There sure were a lot of people pulled over on the side of the road watching the show tonight along Sandpiper golf course and Cathedral Oaks. The Daily Nexus posted a nice photo that *looks* like a lightning strike on an oil platform.

a-1571175942
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Mar 06, 2019 12:45 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Now 1.39. I think that we did dodge a bullet. No reason to monitor closely, I tell myself), many reasons to take precautions. But watching live map of lightning was so cool!

a-1571175942
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Mar 06, 2019 01:15 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Seems Mario Ygnacio in Goleta is the only stream so far reading a higher flow than March 2. I may be wrong. http://rain.cosbpw.net/map/?sensor_class=25&show_thresholds=true&view=8bc6e88f-eeab-4281-9d92-3d723016e945#

a-1571175942
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Mar 06, 2019 12:39 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

John, you made me look. At 12:37, Montecito Creek sensor 2555 reports 1.52. Monitor stage is 1.50. It's decreased and risen since your post, I think. ========================================================================= http://rain.cosbpw.net/site.php?site_id=46&view=8bc6e88f-eeab-4281-9d92-3d723016e945

a-1571175942
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Mar 06, 2019 01:03 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Whoops. John, you were probably looking at this stream flow link (I wasn't): ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://rain.cosbpw.net/map/?sensor_class=25&show_thresholds=true&view=8bc6e88f-eeab-4281-9d92-3d723016e945

John Wiley
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Mar 06, 2019 12:30 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

County site is only showing half an inch in the heaviest rain area of the Thomas burn (above Carp). Heaviest stream flow is Montecito Creek at 57cfs. The gMaps traffic view shows 101 going well with several slow areas but no closures on 154. CHP only shows Northbound onramps closed between Padaro and San Ysidro -in case- of flooding. Dare we hope that the mountain will stay in place?

John Wiley
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Mar 06, 2019 12:10 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

OK heads up. Longer period of moderately heavy rain coming ashore now. Though less intense than the brief earlier squalls, this one might dump enough rain to cause problems. Especially since so much rain has already come down tonight. This squall is intensifying as it encounters the South facing slopes so up in the burn scar it could start getting ugly. Anyone have other resources indicating how this is going to unfold in the next hour or so?

a-1571175942
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Mar 06, 2019 12:33 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

It just now picked up here, I'm near Hope & Foothill. Haven't looked at radar in a while. But with such large differentials within a few miles, we need to hear from people with serious meteorological equipment -- or live reports from Montecito. Nothing we can do. I hope, but don't believe in thoughts & prayers. ;-) I only know of the websites listed here.

a-1571175942
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Mar 06, 2019 12:04 AM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

More great photos on Noozhawk, some that aren't posted here: https://www.noozhawk.com/article/thunderstorms_putting_on_impressive_light_show_in_santa_barbara_county ============================================================================== I guess commentators have gone to sleep. Good steady rain now. Which, with our saturated lands, is a problem. My back yard has been pooling for almost a month, it seems. Montecito has gotten less than Goleta or even SBCC or SB County downtown building. Good news! Real-Time Rainfall Table: http://rain.cosbpw.net/home.php

a-1571175942
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Mar 05, 2019 11:03 PM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

LA Times posted at 10:45: "A band of thunderstorms that stretched from southern Kern County past the Channel Islands was producing a dramatic lightning show Tuesday night in the Southern California sky. In one five-minute stretch alone, shortly after 8 p.m., the National Weather Service recorded 1,489 pulses of lightning off the coast, 231 over Santa Barbara County and 40 in Los Angeles County, said Kathy Hoxsie, a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard. “It’s a lot,” she said. “We usually don’t get that.” Those numbers appeared to taper off later Tuesday evening. The storms were expected to move into Ventura and Los Angeles counties overnight. https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-socal-lightning-20190305-story.html

yin yang
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Mar 05, 2019 10:57 PM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Somewhat abysmal warning. Sure would be nice if NWS told us WHERE, as Thomas burn scar spans two counties and is 440 square miles, according to online information. https://twitter.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/1103166142015815686

a-1571175942
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Mar 05, 2019 10:40 PM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Congratulations, NEXUS, on your photographs!! ============================================================================= https://twitter.com/dailynexus

a-1571175942
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Mar 05, 2019 10:39 PM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

A summary lightning map: https://twitter.com/passantino/status/1103129943104315392 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\ Check out his whole feed.

a-1571175942
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Mar 05, 2019 10:22 PM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

I'm not very good at reading the maps, etc. so I wonder, will this awesome thunder & lightening be over soon or is it likely to linger around even if on and off throughout the night/morning? Such a neat event.

John Wiley
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Mar 05, 2019 10:26 PM
Lightning, Hail, and Power Outage Reports

Lots of lightning strikes still showing up offshore, but the heaviest rain seems to be passing with more moderate-heavy stuff still offshore in the resources I'm checking. Great lightning near-real time (~3 sec delay) site thanks to YenYang's comment: http://en.blitzortung.org/live_lightning_maps.php?map=35

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